John Clare was an English poet who lived mostly in rural Northamptonshire from 1793 to 1864 . He wrote many poems, essays and letters about love, politics, sex, corruption, environmental and social change, poverty and folk life . The poet, John Clare, interested me more then the other poets from the Romantic period because of his colourful background. In 1837, he had a mental breakdown and was admitted to an asylum in Epping Forest. Four years later, he discharged himself and walked the 80 miles home in three and a half days, living on grass he ate by the side of the road. Later that year (1841), he was certified insane and was committed to the Northampton Asylum. He lived there until his death in 1864 writing occasionally. The two …show more content…
They reflect the poets own thoughts and feelings as he is heard as the narrator making the poems biographical, almost as if they were a page from a diary. They have both only recently (with some of his other poems written when at the asylum), been published from manuscripts and the full contents of his work recognised. When first read, it appears that they almost share an identical theme of loneliness and despair, but after a second and third reading, there is some remarkable dissimilarity. Both "A Vision" and "I am" are very personal, intimate poems, both displaying the inner workings and substance of Clare's supposedly deranged mind. While "A Vision" is a definitive statement about Clare's asylum life, "I Am" is a deeper exploration into the chaos of sanatorium life. The rejection of the world in "A Vision" is from a more mature voice that could possibly dispense the rationality of a world-weary writer. However, this will be explored and explained in …show more content…
Even though neither poem gives any visual description to the asylum, the poet expresses a need for immortality. The last stanza begins "in every language upon earth, on every shore, o'er every sea" this is a reference to the poet trying to correspond with everybody in the world regardless of race and culture. The poet is trying to communicate to the world; the concluding lines explain why. The poem ends "I give my name immortal birth and kept my spirit with the free." This is a definite reference to his eventual death, and that his name will live on in his poems and other writings. He does not sound afraid of death, instead the poet appears to welcome it for a better place (heaven), and that he will not be missed as he has found immortality by living forever in his
T.S. Eliot once suggested that there were `three voices of poetry,' so it may be wise to begin by asking what is meant by the term `voice,' and what is meant by the term `vision?' Voice is an expression that has a variety of meanings - it could refer to the persona the poet adopts whilst writing the poem; it could refer to the author's style; the author's tone; or the characteristics of the speaker in the poem. With regards to this essay I will assume that `voice' refers to both the writer's style, and the writer's tone. Conversely, the term `vision' can be more easily defined as the author's purpose in writing the poem, and any messages or themes conveyed to the reader. The two poems that I will make reference to are `Assisi' by Norman MacCaig, and `Glasgow 5 March 1971' by Edwin Morgan. By comparing the poet's style and tone in these poems it can be seen that both writers have a similar `vision.'
also be seen as a man who enjoyed killing but must come up with an
Mark Doty is an American poet who uses his platform and his poetry to speak out about society’s castigation of homosexuality. A plethora of Doty’s poems share a theme: a community impacts one’s individuality from a young age.
makes us think of the author as being like the lord's toy and as soon
In today’s modern view, poetry has become more than just paragraphs that rhyme at the end of each sentence. If the reader has an open mind and the ability to read in between the lines, they discover more than they have bargained for. Some poems might have stories of suffering or abuse, while others contain happy times and great joy. Regardless of what the poems contains, all poems display an expression. That very moment when the writer begins his mental journey with that pen and paper is where all feelings are let out. As poetry is continues to be written, the reader begins to see patterns within each poem. On the other hand, poems have nothing at all in common with one another. A good example of this is in two poems by a famous writer by the name of Langston Hughes. A well-known writer that still gets credit today for pomes like “ Theme for English B” and “Let American be American Again.”
even to work on a farm, you need to have quite a lot of skill. The
“This passage describes the narrator’s spiritual nadir, and may be said to represent her transition from conscious struggle against the daylight world to her immersion in the nocturnal world of unconscious-or, in other terms, from idle fancy to empowering imagination” (Johnson 525). Which was supported when Jane attempted to fight the urge to engage in her unconscious state. “And it is like a woman stooping down and creeping about behind that pattern. I don’t like it a bit. I wonder – I begin to think- I wish John would take me away from here!” (Gilman 92). This exhibits the struggle Jane was facing while trying to maintain her conscious state of mind. However, John felt that if she was taken out of her environment she would go crazy, which ironically led to her slow decline into the unconscious mind. “There is a recurrent spot where the pattern lolls like a broken neck and two bulbous eyes stare at you upside down” (Gilman 89). It was here that Jane began giving human characteristics to inanimate objects. As Gilman’s story continues, Jane gradually becomes more entranced by her imagination. “There is one marked peculiarity about this paper, a thing nobody seems to notice but myself, and that is that it changes as the light changes” (Gilman 94). Displaying the idea that Jane was immersed in her unconscious world, validating the Johnson’s argument that Jane progressively develops into her unconscious mind throughout the
‘Ozymandias’ by Percy Shelley and ‘My Last Duchess’ have many links and similar themes such as power, time and art. ‘Ozymandias’ shows the insignificance of human life after passing time whilst ‘My Last Duchess’ speaks of his deceased wife in a form of a speech.
John Clare’s “An Invite to Eternity” is a poem that at first glance seems happy and inviting but once examined, is actually quite depressing and aloof. Although it appears to be a direct address to an anonymous “maiden,” in reality the poem is much more complex. Clare offers his “sweet maid” a less than appealing future life, presenting her with an “eternity” filled with harsh landscapes and loneliness. Most readers’ first impression when they think of eternity is almost dream-like or heavenly. However, Clare’s vision of eternity is dark and mysterious and uninviting. These different versions of expectations, as well as the use of antique word forms such as “thou” and “wilt”, seems to suggest a conscious misuse of traditional and old-fashioned love poetry and portrays the “maiden” as being nothing more than a figment in Clare’s imagination. Further, this is not the first time Clare has written about such a hellish place. His poem “I am” resembles the “eternity” he is speaking of in “An Invite to Eternity.” “I am” was a reflection of a period in his life where he was isolated in a mental institution. In this context, the strange and ominous world that Clare presents as “eternity” takes on a new meaning as a representation of his social death while in the asylum. Supporting this idea, “An Invite to Eternity”
John Muir and William Wordsworth use diction and tone to define nature as doing a necessary extensile of life. Throughout Muir’s and William’s works of literature they both describe nature as being a necessary element in life that brings happiness, joy, and peace. Both authors use certain writing techniques within their poems and essays to show their love and appreciation of nature. This shows the audience how fond both authors are about nature. That is why Wordsworth and Muir express their codependent relationship with nature using diction and tone.
Poems by John Betjeman John Betjeman writes interesting and contrasting poems, most of which are very personal and a recollection of his past. He is a vivid poet and never fails to set his scenes well. He always includes as much detail as possible and his poems are oozing with creative writing. 'Indoor games Near Newbury' is about a boy, maybe himself, going to a party and meeting a young beautiful girl.
In his preface of the Kokinshū poet Ki no Tsurayaki wrote that poetry conveyed the “true heart” of people. And because poetry declares the true heart of people, poetry in the minds of the poets of the past believed that it also moved the hearts of the gods. It can be seen that in the ancient past that poetry had a great importance to the people of the time or at least to the poets of the past. In this paper I will describe two of some of the most important works in Japanese poetry the anthologies of the Man’yōshū and the Kokinshū. Both equally important as said by some scholars of Japanese literature, and both works contributing greatly to the culture of those who live in the land of the rising sun.
Poetry by William King, Martyn Lowery, Andrew Marvell, Liz Lochhead, John Cooper Clarke and Elizabeth Jennings
Emily Dickinson’s poems, “I” and “VIII”, are both three verses long and convey the irony and anguish of the world in different ways. By paraphrasing each of Dickinson’s poems, “I” and “VIII”, similarities and differences between the two become apparent. Putting the poem into familiar language makes it easier to comprehend.
from the rest in that they describe a love that has ended or will end